WEBVTT 00:00:00.420 --> 00:00:05.600 I'm going to invite you to the book of Romans as we're going to be together today, the book of Romans chapter one. 00:00:06.060 --> 00:00:09.400 And diving into this, I have never preached the book of Romans. 00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:09.700 I know. 00:00:09.700 --> 00:00:11.310 I've certainly studied the book of Romans. 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:18.800 But there's been something about me that has just been hesitant to preach the book of Romans because I wanted to really, 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:24.540 honestly grow in my own walk with the Lord before I just opened up this book and shared it with you as a congregation. 00:00:24.900 --> 00:00:29.880 Because this book is considered the book of books when it comes to all of scripture. 00:00:30.200 --> 00:00:34.680 They say if you lose all of the Bible, but have Romans as a believer, you're going to be okay. 00:00:34.980 --> 00:00:42.300 The Book of Romans is a beautiful book that shares with us what it means to know God and find salvation in him and our identity in him, 00:00:42.300 --> 00:00:43.880 and then how to live in light of him. 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:51.040 The first eight chapters of Romans deals with you and your walk with God, understanding the depths of who God is and who you are in light of that, and then starting 00:00:51.040 --> 00:00:57.420 in nine and on it begins to develop how that looks, how that practically works in our lives as we live. 00:00:57.440 --> 00:01:04.540 For him, starting with the Jewish people, you'll know in chapter nine, for those that know this book all the way into Chapter 12, it gets very practical and living out 00:01:04.540 --> 00:01:07.190 the Christian life now in light of who you are in Jesus. 00:01:07.240 --> 00:01:14.820 So this if you're new to Christianity especially, or if you're investigating Christianity, this is a beautiful book to join us on. 00:01:15.140 --> 00:01:22.180 If you've been a believer for years, but just want to get better at communicating what it means to pursue Christ and to share Christ with 00:01:22.180 --> 00:01:22.540 others. 00:01:22.540 --> 00:01:29.220 The Book of Romans is that book, And the Apostle Paul wrote this letter after a couple of decades in ministry. 00:01:29.220 --> 00:01:31.820 And I find myself here today about to share this with you. 00:01:32.160 --> 00:01:33.920 Two decades into being a pastor. 00:01:33.960 --> 00:01:39.700 So I think it's a beautiful time and aligned with where the apostle Paul is and how he shares this book. 00:01:39.700 --> 00:01:45.260 And when Christianity started, the book of Romans is written to the city of Rome among the Roman people. 00:01:45.260 --> 00:01:47.920 I mean, this is the city of cities among the Roman civilization. 00:01:48.580 --> 00:01:54.860 And when this letter was written, it's thought of that the church in Rome likely began in a Jewish synagogue. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:59.280 It was customary, especially in the early church when they started the place that they would first go. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:06.740 When they began to preach the gospel, they would begin as they went from town to town in the synagogues, because they had the basis of foundation for Christianity in 00:02:06.740 --> 00:02:10.720 the Old Testament, because our New Testament is very much rooted in the Old Testament. 00:02:10.720 --> 00:02:17.760 When you read the New Testament, you find the authors of the New Testament often going back and quoting the Old Testament to recognize that 00:02:17.760 --> 00:02:21.060 what has happened in the New Testament is the fulfillment of what was proclaimed in the old. 00:02:22.340 --> 00:02:26.600 And so the Church of Rome likely began in a synagogue. 00:02:26.640 --> 00:02:33.800 But what happened very early in the Christian church in the city of Rome was that Emperor Claudius, somewhere in the in 00:02:33.800 --> 00:02:40.880 the forties, ad expelled the Jews from Rome, and even the Jewish Christians from the ethnic 00:02:40.880 --> 00:02:45.210 group of the Jews were expelled from Rome, leaving just the Gentile Christians. 00:02:45.580 --> 00:02:49.060 And in the fifties the Jewish Christians were allowed to return. 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:56.820 And when they entered into the churches that they had left about four or five years ago, they find that it's different than than what they had experienced 00:02:56.820 --> 00:03:03.840 previously, that now that the Gentiles had been had been in this church and they had some some Jewish understanding previous to that, now that the Jews have 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:09.560 been gone for five years and they come back now, the church looks a little different and the Jews are trying to find their place. 00:03:10.160 --> 00:03:17.620 And Paul writes this letter to the Roman Christians, Jewish, Christian or Gentile Christian on that backdrop 00:03:17.620 --> 00:03:19.040 for a few purposes. 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:26.240 One, Paul had never visited Rome up to this point, and Paul's desire was to go to 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:29.320 the he went to the populated areas of this world. 00:03:29.320 --> 00:03:36.340 When Paul went on his missionary journey, he went to the larger cities and towns in order to proclaim the gospel, because Paul knew 00:03:36.340 --> 00:03:39.750 if you could influence the cities, you could influence the countryside. 00:03:40.760 --> 00:03:43.250 And he had yet to journey all the way west to Rome. 00:03:43.480 --> 00:03:50.500 But his heart remained fixed there and wanting to go to the capital of the Roman people and to begin to influence there for 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:51.520 the sake of the gospel. 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:59.340 And not only did Paul have his heart set on Rome, he was even thinking about the church in Rome as being a catalyst to help the 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:01.860 Apostle Paul, then travel on to Spain. 00:04:02.300 --> 00:04:09.520 One of the things that we learned together is we just concluded the book of Second Corinthians is that the Apostle Paul, when he would often go from town to town preaching the gospel 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:16.680 and seeing churches established as the church became established, Paul then use that church as the basis to help him to get to the next 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:18.279 town in order to proclaim the gospel. 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:26.220 And for Paul, Rome became this launching place to go even further west into Spain, as 00:04:26.220 --> 00:04:30.840 Paul's heart remained to contain, to proclaim the gospel around the world. 00:04:30.840 --> 00:04:38.400 He also remained fixed on the people of Rome, knowing that there was Jewish, Christian and Gentile Christian that were somewhat divided, 00:04:38.400 --> 00:04:41.520 having been separated for a number of years, being brought back together. 00:04:42.640 --> 00:04:50.390 And his heart for them was to take a bigger picture in what God desired for them to do collectively united as his people. 00:04:50.880 --> 00:04:51.620 And it's here today. 00:04:51.640 --> 00:04:58.680 We're going to go all the way to verse 17 that we're going to see that Paul begins this story bye bye by drawing it down to the theme 00:04:58.680 --> 00:04:59.940 of what Romans is about. 00:04:59.980 --> 00:05:00.060 And. 00:05:00.060 --> 00:05:01.180 For 16 and 17. 00:05:01.180 --> 00:05:02.600 We'll see that in just a little bit. 00:05:03.140 --> 00:05:10.440 But when you think about the scope of what Romans has represented in church history, there is no 00:05:10.440 --> 00:05:13.820 time wasted when you're invested in God's word. 00:05:13.980 --> 00:05:16.830 And that's especially true, I think, in the book of Romans. 00:05:18.440 --> 00:05:20.200 Any time we've pouring into this text. 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:20.900 And what God is. 00:05:20.960 --> 00:05:23.470 Communicating to us is just a precious. 00:05:23.580 --> 00:05:27.040 Moment that the Lord can do a wonderful work within us. 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:34.580 And as you think about the scope of this book, as it's laid out throughout church history, this has had a magnificent impact in God's 00:05:34.580 --> 00:05:36.230 people throughout the centuries. 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:40.520 And just to give you a little bit of an idea, in the top right is a man by the name of Augustine. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.660 Augustine was hugely influential in church history. 00:05:44.740 --> 00:05:48.740 In the fourth into the fifth century, He wrote a book called The City of God. 00:05:48.880 --> 00:05:52.570 The City of God was written during a time period when the Roman Empire was collapsing. 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:55.860 The people thought that the Lord was going to return. 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:59.380 They were going to use the people of Rome to proclaim the gospel everywhere. 00:05:59.580 --> 00:06:05.700 And when the when the Roman civilization begins to collapse, people are disoriented and they flee to Augustine's City. 00:06:05.760 --> 00:06:12.820 Augustine writes the book The City of God, and he continues to put the people's hope towards what God calls them to for His kingdom and glory, 00:06:12.820 --> 00:06:13.880 not some earthly. 00:06:13.960 --> 00:06:14.460 Kingdom and glory. 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:22.960 And the thing that led Augustine to the Lord, he one day was contemplating he was from this religion called Manichaeism, and 00:06:22.960 --> 00:06:28.250 he was one day contemplating the things of Christ as he had heard this great teacher talking about the Lord. 00:06:28.620 --> 00:06:33.260 And outside of his window, one day there was this little girl who just said, Take up and read, take up and read. 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:35.810 And Augustine took that to mean to take up God's word. 00:06:35.980 --> 00:06:39.080 And he opened it up and he and he read chapter 13 of Romans. 00:06:39.320 --> 00:06:43.610 And there in that moment, he gave his life to Christ, and he became a powerful leader. 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:46.200 For the sake of the gospel during his time. 00:06:46.280 --> 00:06:46.380 Period. 00:06:46.700 --> 00:06:52.200 And he began to influence people for centuries to come and then left of him as the man by the name of Martin Luther. 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:55.640 By the way, I encourage you to take your fashion from none of these guys. 00:06:56.060 --> 00:06:56.480 Right. 00:06:56.580 --> 00:06:57.600 But Martin Luther. 00:06:57.620 --> 00:07:00.730 More than 1000 years later, he comes on the scene and he leads the Reformation. 00:07:01.940 --> 00:07:07.340 And the thing that we're going to see here at the end that led Martin Luther to the Reformation was found in Romans chapter one. 00:07:07.380 --> 00:07:10.460 We'll end with those verses that impacted Martin Luther's life. 00:07:10.820 --> 00:07:13.580 And the guy on the bottom is by a man by the name of John Wesley. 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:17.080 Some of you may be familiar with John Wesley started the Methodist movement. 00:07:17.580 --> 00:07:24.700 John Wesley was reading a commentary on Romans from Martin Luther, and he said as 00:07:24.700 --> 00:07:27.880 he was studying it, this is where he came to know the Lord. 00:07:28.200 --> 00:07:33.900 And so even in American history, like John Wesley is very influential in American church history. 00:07:33.960 --> 00:07:40.300 But you see throughout the centuries, the Christian church being heavily influenced by the content of the Book of Romans. 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:47.460 And I would even go so far as to say and probably you without knowing it, what's very popular in Christians today, when 00:07:47.460 --> 00:07:54.460 you want to learn about sharing the gospel with others, something that Christians are often taken to is this theme from the book of Romans that people often refer 00:07:54.480 --> 00:08:01.820 to as the Romans Road and what it means to come to know Christ in Romans Road is often used a quote for four passages from Romans. 00:08:02.300 --> 00:08:04.380 Romans 323 all have sinned. 00:08:04.460 --> 00:08:06.800 Romans 623 The wages of sin is death. 00:08:06.820 --> 00:08:10.720 And that doesn't just mean you go into a grave, but that means you're separated from God. 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:11.440 Romans five, eight. 00:08:11.440 --> 00:08:13.240 But God demonstrates his love towards you. 00:08:13.320 --> 00:08:15.660 And while you're a sinner, Christ died for you. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:21.500 So while you're at your worst, God pursues you in Romans 1013 forever calls in the name of the Lord is saved. 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:22.000 That's the room. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:22.990 That's the theme of the gospel. 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:30.240 That's the idea of understanding who I am apart from God, but understanding who I can be because of Christ and giving his life for us and 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:37.559 is demonstrating his love towards us in our sin, he dies for us so that if we proclaim Christ, if we put our faith in Him, then 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:39.980 we become a new creation in Jesus. 00:08:40.980 --> 00:08:48.020 I mean, if someone didn't share the gospel with you that way, and which you came to know the Lord, chances are the person that shared the Gospel with you 00:08:48.020 --> 00:08:50.840 probably came to know the Lord through the Romans road. 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:50.940 Right? 00:08:50.940 --> 00:08:51.320 So. 00:08:51.400 --> 00:08:58.660 So this book is heavily influential and the way the Lord has used this to shape his church throughout the centuries. 00:09:00.260 --> 00:09:03.500 And here we are today with the opportunity to read it. 00:09:05.680 --> 00:09:06.490 And the greatest. 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:08.600 Of books. 00:09:09.040 --> 00:09:12.060 Some say the books of books or the book of books. 00:09:13.460 --> 00:09:15.720 Has the humblest of beginnings. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:19.200 Romans Chapter one, Paul. 00:09:19.300 --> 00:09:22.720 Introduces himself to a church he's never visited. 00:09:24.660 --> 00:09:26.760 And the way he chooses to lead. 00:09:28.020 --> 00:09:31.590 It is very important in how Paul. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:33.900 Wants to identify to the church. 00:09:33.980 --> 00:09:41.520 But also a step or an attitude for which we should find ourselves mimicking the Apostle Paul's behaviour. 00:09:41.540 --> 00:09:43.260 Look at a Romans chapter one, verse one. 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:44.180 Paul. 00:09:45.400 --> 00:09:47.300 A servant of Christ. 00:09:47.540 --> 00:09:47.900 Jesus. 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:54.240 Call to be an apostle set apart for the Gospel of God. 00:09:55.720 --> 00:10:02.780 Now we spend time in Second Corinthians Chapter 11, specifically talking about what it means to be an apostle there in Paul's 00:10:02.780 --> 00:10:03.020 day. 00:10:03.060 --> 00:10:07.140 There were people that claim to be super apostles that try to impose himself above him. 00:10:07.220 --> 00:10:14.230 So if you want to you want to know what it means to carry this title of Apostle and whether or not it exists for today, I would encourage you to go back and listen to Second 00:10:14.420 --> 00:10:15.820 Corinthians Chapter 11. 00:10:15.820 --> 00:10:22.820 We discuss it together as a church, but even before he identifies himself as an apostle, what I find significant about the Apostle Paul 00:10:22.820 --> 00:10:28.080 in this letter is the first words he chooses to identify himself to a church he has never met. 00:10:29.900 --> 00:10:30.350 It's the idea. 00:10:30.740 --> 00:10:31.160 Of a servant. 00:10:32.820 --> 00:10:40.270 And this is incredible because when you think about who the Apostle Paul was before he took this kind of identity, his relationship to the Lord towards others, 00:10:40.520 --> 00:10:47.560 the Apostle Paul, I think there's probably no better phrase to put towards the Apostle Paul previous to his faith in Jesus than simply to call 00:10:47.560 --> 00:10:48.180 him this. 00:10:48.400 --> 00:10:49.500 Paul was a religious terrorist. 00:10:50.700 --> 00:10:57.820 And if you think that's a little bit extreme in the way that I might describe that, if you read just acts chapter nine, verse one and see how Acts describes the Apostle 00:10:57.820 --> 00:10:58.080 Paul. 00:10:58.120 --> 00:10:58.420 Look at this. 00:10:59.020 --> 00:11:04.740 Now, Saul, who was Paul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. 00:11:06.040 --> 00:11:12.260 I don't think there's any better way to describe the Apostle Paul and who he was apart from Jesus and simply say he was a religious terrorist. 00:11:15.620 --> 00:11:16.920 But Paul. 00:11:19.040 --> 00:11:19.850 It goes from a terrorist. 00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:22.240 To serve it. 00:11:23.980 --> 00:11:28.380 And his life is radically changed to the point that he dies to himself. 00:11:31.080 --> 00:11:32.900 To be a servant of Jesus. 00:11:32.920 --> 00:11:35.790 You first need to be changed by Jesus. 00:11:36.900 --> 00:11:38.980 But I would say to us, in light of the way. 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:46.020 Paul is describing himself there is no such thing as a healthy believer that does not begin with the heart 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:46.840 of a servant. 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:52.820 Paul went from the greatest of sinners. 00:11:54.340 --> 00:11:55.410 To the best of saints. 00:11:56.620 --> 00:11:59.880 So much so that in Romans chapter 12, we're going to find him saying this a little bit later. 00:12:00.580 --> 00:12:02.220 Bless those who persecute you. 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:06.680 Bless and do not curse them. 00:12:08.340 --> 00:12:09.300 And Paul goes from this. 00:12:09.340 --> 00:12:10.900 Radical attitude of wanting to kill. 00:12:10.900 --> 00:12:12.980 People that oppose him as a Jew. 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:21.900 To all of a sudden becoming a believer, a servant of servants, to then look at the church of which he persecuted and says to those that persecute you, bless those 00:12:21.900 --> 00:12:23.670 that persecute you, bless and do not curse. 00:12:23.780 --> 00:12:25.920 Now, why would the Apostle Paul do that? 00:12:26.260 --> 00:12:29.620 111i think Paul would say this because he doesn't want us to add fuel to a fire. 00:12:29.640 --> 00:12:33.140 We don't want to give someone the excuse to hate us by retaliating back. 00:12:34.280 --> 00:12:41.320 But second, I think the Apostle Paul knows the effect that it has on those that hate us when we're loving towards them because he knew the effect it had on 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:41.660 him. 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:49.380 That as long as there is opportunity, there's always potential for someone to come to know the Lord. 00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:52.380 And regardless of what other people choose to do or not do. 00:12:52.780 --> 00:12:58.420 The way that we compose ourselves is always to be honoring before the Lord in the way that we honor the Lord. 00:12:59.940 --> 00:13:02.920 Is to be honoring towards others because everyone is creating the image of God. 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:12.720 So the Apostle Paul goes to this radical transformation, which we're going to discover more about that as we read these pages in the book of Romans. 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:16.900 But Paul's title is Servant certainly mimics his leader. 00:13:16.900 --> 00:13:17.340 Who is Jesus? 00:13:17.580 --> 00:13:21.160 I mean, Jesus above everyone was the servant of servants. 00:13:22.180 --> 00:13:28.020 I mean, Scripture tells us in the Gospels that when Jesus did his ministry, the son of man had nowhere to lay his head. 00:13:30.580 --> 00:13:33.370 But yet he went through life giving of himself for others. 00:13:34.940 --> 00:13:36.120 Healing the broken hearted. 00:13:37.060 --> 00:13:37.340 But the sick. 00:13:38.620 --> 00:13:39.140 And the lame. 00:13:40.220 --> 00:13:42.150 And the blind and the lepers. 00:13:43.660 --> 00:13:44.400 And feeding the poor. 00:13:47.020 --> 00:13:50.760 Jesus gave everything to serve us to the point of his own life. 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:53.620 And now Paul, who follows just this. 00:13:53.620 --> 00:13:55.980 Jesus mimics his life in the same way. 00:13:56.060 --> 00:13:58.940 Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them. 00:13:59.060 --> 00:14:00.100 Leading you with this. 00:14:00.180 --> 00:14:02.260 This is a blank in your notes if you know what to want to think. 00:14:02.380 --> 00:14:03.700 About the idea of a servant. 00:14:03.880 --> 00:14:07.860 This word comes from the Greek idea of Douglas. 00:14:07.860 --> 00:14:09.480 It's the servant of servants. 00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:12.760 Some would even say in some contexts it could be seen as a slave. 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:16.920 But for a definition in your notes, a servant is the one. 00:14:17.400 --> 00:14:20.440 That bears burdens and blesses others. 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:22.660 A servant is the one that. 00:14:22.740 --> 00:14:25.840 Bears burdens and blesses others. 00:14:28.140 --> 00:14:30.060 Consider how far the Apostle Paul went. 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:33.700 We saw this in Second Corinthians Chapter 11. 00:14:33.860 --> 00:14:38.110 Together at the end of the chapter, Paul describes his own life and what he went through in order to serve. 00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:40.780 Five times I received from the Jews 30. 00:14:41.020 --> 00:14:43.260 Lashes, three times I was beaten with rods. 00:14:43.260 --> 00:14:48.680 Once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked a night in a day I spent adrift at sea and on and on. 00:14:48.760 --> 00:14:51.040 That story goes all the way to verse 29. 00:14:51.040 --> 00:14:54.900 Paul discusses the hardship that he endured as a servant of Christ. 00:14:58.520 --> 00:15:04.580 As we look at the book of Romans, theologians have drooled over its pages for years. 00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:09.880 But more than just being a theologian of this book. 00:15:12.260 --> 00:15:16.960 A desire for us to have the heart that the Apostle Paul reflects within these pages. 00:15:19.980 --> 00:15:23.300 That our lives would mimic Christ life. 00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:30.380 And Paul's example through this story, because our lives are being radically transformed as we get to 00:15:30.380 --> 00:15:32.530 know the goodness of who God is. 00:15:33.060 --> 00:15:33.960 And as Paul. 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:37.900 Introduces himself in these pages in verse one, he then goes on in verse two and gives. 00:15:37.980 --> 00:15:39.260 Us the basis for belief. 00:15:41.540 --> 00:15:43.780 Why, Paul, would you embrace Christianity now? 00:15:44.100 --> 00:15:51.200 There's certainly a personal aspect to what Paul experienced when he was on the road to Damascus, as Jesus appears to him in this 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:53.820 great light and asks Paul, why are you. 00:15:53.920 --> 00:15:54.860 Persecute against me? 00:15:55.540 --> 00:15:58.980 But there was also a foundation in Paul's life for which he put his belief. 00:15:59.060 --> 00:15:59.440 Upon. 00:16:00.460 --> 00:16:02.320 Or he encountered God in a personal way. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:09.540 Yes, but there was already a foundation there laid there in the Old Testament, for which Paul established his life in 00:16:09.540 --> 00:16:10.160 Christ. 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:17.440 And so in Romans chapter one, verse one, it says, Paul's servant of Christ called to be an apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God, which he promised 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:21.100 beforehand through his through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures. 00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:29.260 Paul saying, When it comes to a basis of belief in your life, we're not just simply saying Choose Jesus, because it might feel good if you have 00:16:29.260 --> 00:16:31.320 this positive feeling that means you should have faith. 00:16:31.460 --> 00:16:34.910 That's not what Paul's saying here is he's saying, Look, you want to know the basis of my belief. 00:16:35.260 --> 00:16:37.820 It's rooted in everything God communicated to us in the Old Testament. 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:41.690 In fact, I would say to you today, I don't even know if I would be a Christian if it weren't for the Old Testament. 00:16:43.520 --> 00:16:47.640 The Old Testament is rich and prophetic statements of what Jesus would represent for us. 00:16:47.680 --> 00:16:52.420 In fact, in my devotions last night I was in the Book of Micah in chapter five, verse two. 00:16:52.420 --> 00:16:56.320 It prophetically proclaims that when the Messiah comes, he would be born in Bethlehem. 00:16:57.820 --> 00:17:01.280 Details about the life of Christ said to us long before Jesus. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:04.930 I'll let you know that there are critics of Christianity. 00:17:05.900 --> 00:17:13.000 And one of the one of the criticisms of Christianity pre 1940s and fifties was when you looked at the Old Testament, some of the some of the manuscripts 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:16.599 that we possessed were hundreds of years after Jesus. 00:17:18.040 --> 00:17:20.160 And their statement against Christianity was this. 00:17:20.859 --> 00:17:27.940 Of course, these statements are very specific about what Jesus is going to be like when he arrives and all the prophetic deliverance that Jesus will bring and 00:17:27.940 --> 00:17:29.320 how Jesus is going to die. 00:17:29.320 --> 00:17:31.480 These books were written after Jesus. 00:17:31.520 --> 00:17:34.260 That's why they had them written so correctly about Christ. 00:17:35.560 --> 00:17:37.020 And in the 1940s and fifties. 00:17:39.520 --> 00:17:41.400 In a cave along the Dead Sea. 00:17:43.100 --> 00:17:45.120 Scrolls were found referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls. 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:52.180 They give us manuscripts of the Old Testament, up to 200 years older than Jesus himself. 00:17:54.360 --> 00:17:59.420 And in those scrolls we found contain the prophecies about Jesus. 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:04.840 Paul's saying I don't follow Christianity simply because of a feeling. 00:18:06.560 --> 00:18:11.190 But rather my faith is rooted in something he promised beforehand through the prophets and the Holy Scriptures. 00:18:11.220 --> 00:18:18.380 In fact, when you read, when you read the New Testament, you find that the New Testament authors regularly quoting from the Old Testament 00:18:18.380 --> 00:18:19.060 so that you. 00:18:19.160 --> 00:18:24.400 Understand there is a foundation to this faith that God has revealed for us to put our trust in. 00:18:24.540 --> 00:18:30.040 And then He goes on in verse three concerning his son, who was descended from David, according to the flesh. 00:18:30.260 --> 00:18:34.740 Again, this is a more particular prophetic fulfillment that Paul is leaning into here. 00:18:34.740 --> 00:18:36.980 But Jesus is referred to in the New Testament. 00:18:36.980 --> 00:18:39.960 He's got a few titles, but one is one is the Son of God. 00:18:40.840 --> 00:18:44.180 Some people mistakenly take that literally as if God had a son. 00:18:44.840 --> 00:18:47.630 But that's not what's being communicated in that verbiage at all. 00:18:48.820 --> 00:18:56.260 What this is saying is there is a prophetic fulfillment in the Old Testament that comes from Second Samuel Chapter seven versus 12 to 16, where David 00:18:56.260 --> 00:19:04.600 is told at the end of his life that God would raise up from his lineage one that would actually be the Son of God. 00:19:04.940 --> 00:19:11.940 And in John chapter one, when John starts his gospel, he tells us that he is the only begotten Son of 00:19:11.940 --> 00:19:12.340 God. 00:19:12.700 --> 00:19:14.100 And we behold His glory. 00:19:14.220 --> 00:19:15.520 His glory dwells among us. 00:19:15.540 --> 00:19:17.090 That word dwell is literally tabernacle. 00:19:18.560 --> 00:19:25.620 And what is stating to us and that phrase that he got in John one, that he would dwell among us, this only begotten Son of God 00:19:25.620 --> 00:19:27.020 in the Old Testament. 00:19:27.140 --> 00:19:33.540 The Jews knew that the Tabernacle presence of God was hovered over the temple and only one room. 00:19:33.580 --> 00:19:38.440 If you wanted to know where God was, if you wanted to meet with God, you would go to the temple and you couldn't even go into that room. 00:19:38.460 --> 00:19:41.440 You weren't allowed as a regular Jew, but God's presence was there. 00:19:41.500 --> 00:19:44.520 And now all of a sudden, God's presence is among us. 00:19:44.520 --> 00:19:46.720 And John, chapter one, and He dwells in the form of. 00:19:47.120 --> 00:19:51.420 Jesus, in the flesh, the only begotten Son of God. 00:19:52.800 --> 00:19:57.780 And it's saying to us and John 114 the uniqueness of who Jesus is and being the only begotten son. 00:19:58.360 --> 00:20:01.960 There's something distinguished about Jesus in the flesh that is different from you. 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:05.620 And for me, some people make incorrectly teach that all of us are God's children. 00:20:06.320 --> 00:20:13.440 Let me just propose a question to you, if you might believe that this morning, and I don't mean to sound abrasive to you, but this is an important 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:15.860 question when you get to Romans chapter eight. 00:20:16.580 --> 00:20:20.000 Romans is going to teach us about you being adopted into God's family. 00:20:20.060 --> 00:20:23.590 So here's the question How in the world are you already God's child? 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:26.740 If Romans Chapter eight is talking about your adoption? 00:20:27.420 --> 00:20:30.340 Why would God have to adopt what already belongs to him? 00:20:32.100 --> 00:20:32.860 Lest you didn't blow. 00:20:36.300 --> 00:20:40.060 Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. 00:20:40.060 --> 00:20:44.320 The phrase there in Greek is literally Monahan's the only one of his kind or class. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:48.380 And what we learn about the identity of Jesus is the fullness of God is in Him. 00:20:49.840 --> 00:20:51.200 His God in the flesh. 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:53.420 The exact imprint Scripture tells us. 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:57.240 Colossians two nine, Hebrews one three, God in the flesh. 00:20:58.780 --> 00:20:59.940 The fulfillment of that. 00:20:59.960 --> 00:21:02.220 And second, Samuel, Chapter seven. 00:21:02.220 --> 00:21:02.850 And I've got to move faster. 00:21:03.260 --> 00:21:04.260 This we're going through this today. 00:21:04.560 --> 00:21:12.160 He was declared to be the son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness, by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. 00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:16.460 And Paul's saying to us, and this was validated through his resurrection. 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:23.720 In fact, Paul went on the first Corinthians 15 and said, If Christ be not raised from the dead, our faith is in vain and we're the most to be pitied of all people. 00:21:24.060 --> 00:21:29.320 The resurrection of Jesus is why the disciples, the early followers of Christ, gave their lives. 00:21:29.580 --> 00:21:36.900 They had quit on Christ when Christ was crucified, and they came back to full follow Christ to its fullness, to the end of their lives, giving everything 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:42.820 to proclaim Christ to this world because they knew they had seen a dead man walking and could not deny it. 00:21:43.940 --> 00:21:51.120 And Paul is saying this is the basis for our faith that has been prophetically fulfilled in the Old Testament that the Son of God has come in the flesh 00:21:51.120 --> 00:21:54.260 and has given his life and has been resurrected from the grave. 00:21:54.380 --> 00:21:59.920 A testimony to us then in verse five, through whom we have received grace and apostle to bring about the obedience of. 00:22:00.040 --> 00:22:02.380 Faith for the sake of his name among all the nations. 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:06.170 The pole sang in verse five as this has become personal. 00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:10.020 It's not just the truth that I know. 00:22:11.880 --> 00:22:14.340 But it's a truth that I trust him with my life. 00:22:16.140 --> 00:22:17.740 To know God personally in the way. 00:22:17.740 --> 00:22:24.540 This is possible is because he's delivered his grace. 00:22:24.540 --> 00:22:26.140 Unmerited favor of God. 00:22:27.960 --> 00:22:28.980 I didn't earn this. 00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:31.040 But Jesus. 00:22:31.060 --> 00:22:31.400 Did this. 00:22:31.460 --> 00:22:32.160 By the way, if you want a definition. 00:22:32.500 --> 00:22:34.340 Of grace, let me just toss out two verses for you. 00:22:34.340 --> 00:22:37.280 Romans four for Romans 11 six, if you want to look that up later. 00:22:38.900 --> 00:22:40.870 But God brought this to me in a personal way. 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:46.120 And he called me in him to obedience. 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:53.980 And guess this is this is my heart for us as we go through these pages, that our hearts would be obedient in Christ because we. 00:22:53.980 --> 00:22:57.860 See the goodness of who he is, and that's where we want to align our lives. 00:22:58.120 --> 00:23:04.140 And let me let me just tell you, when you go through the book of Romans, at some point, you're probably going to find something that disagrees with you. 00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:05.140 If I haven't already said. 00:23:05.320 --> 00:23:05.640 Something already. 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:13.720 And something that you might have been taught or grown up with or even that you hold on to right now that disagrees with maybe what Roman says 00:23:13.720 --> 00:23:14.920 and you're going have a choice. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:18.600 What are you going to what are you going to obey, what you want to believe or what Christ says? 00:23:20.340 --> 00:23:27.660 If we go through the book of Romans and at some point you didn't fill yourself, rubbed a certain way that in your life that didn't cause 00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:34.240 you to want to conform more to Jesus or look at somewhere where you might be contrary to the Lord and you're living right now. 00:23:34.340 --> 00:23:36.350 Then I probably went through Romans incorrectly. 00:23:37.600 --> 00:23:39.000 None of us in this room are perfect. 00:23:41.260 --> 00:23:43.260 But God's desire for us is obedience. 00:23:43.660 --> 00:23:47.880 I mean, if you're married, one of the quickest lessons you can learn to say, guys. 00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:49.730 I was wrong. 00:23:52.060 --> 00:23:52.700 I'm sorry. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:53.260 I was wrong. 00:23:56.940 --> 00:23:57.760 And before the Lord. 00:24:00.120 --> 00:24:01.800 One of the healthiest confessions of your soul. 00:24:04.800 --> 00:24:05.440 Or that was wrong. 00:24:07.500 --> 00:24:14.620 The apostle Paul here gives us the basis for that and then he says his desire in this, the grace of God and 00:24:14.620 --> 00:24:14.740 his. 00:24:15.040 --> 00:24:18.590 Apostles to bring about obedience for the sake of faith of his name among. 00:24:18.780 --> 00:24:19.640 All the nations. 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:28.760 Paul is saying to this Jewish and gentile church that has a little bit of division among them right now, having been separated for so long now coming back together, 00:24:28.800 --> 00:24:31.350 that God's heart is for all people everywhere. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:34.030 And I think this is a this is a beautiful thought that the Lord. 00:24:34.540 --> 00:24:35.060 Shares. 00:24:35.060 --> 00:24:35.420 With us. 00:24:35.420 --> 00:24:42.760 And the reason for that, I think specifically, is because in our culture, we have had Todd over the last century plus 00:24:42.760 --> 00:24:44.800 the idea of macro evolution. 00:24:45.800 --> 00:24:52.860 And I'm going to be honest, like when I think of macro evolution, that's the theory that's taught us truth, that we 00:24:52.860 --> 00:24:57.900 went from fish to philosophers as human beings, that we we've morphed from fish to philosophers. 00:24:58.060 --> 00:24:59.800 I'm just going to be honest here and say this. 00:25:00.260 --> 00:25:02.910 If you want to talk to me about this later, then please do. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:08.380 I don't know how someone can believe in macro evolution. 00:25:10.280 --> 00:25:11.200 And not be a racist. 00:25:15.860 --> 00:25:22.920 The idea of macro evolution is the is the thought that we would have evolved from fish to philosophers and 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:23.580 it would lean. 00:25:23.600 --> 00:25:26.520 Into the idea then that on this world today there. 00:25:26.560 --> 00:25:30.740 Is a there is a superior race of human beings among all human beings. 00:25:32.540 --> 00:25:39.840 In fact, if you just want to indulge me for a moment, do you know one of the books 00:25:39.840 --> 00:25:46.080 written that has influenced evolution, Charles Darwin You know, we typically know the title of the book is The Origin of Species. 00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:48.340 Do you know the full title of the book? 00:25:48.620 --> 00:25:56.110 We don't often say this because it's not popular, but let me just read to you the full title of the book of Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species, 00:25:56.320 --> 00:26:02.900 by means of natural selection or the preservation of favored races and the struggle of life. 00:26:04.540 --> 00:26:05.070 You know, he's suggesting. 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:11.800 That there is a superior group of people in this world, and I'm just going to go out on a limb and say Charles Darwin probably thinks that's his right. 00:26:13.180 --> 00:26:17.620 I don't know how someone holds to the idea of macro evolution and not be a racist. 00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:21.700 In fact, in fact, I know popular in our culture today is the idea of abortion. 00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:30.180 And do you know one of the founding proponents of abortion that has pushed our culture into embracing it was a lady by the name 00:26:30.180 --> 00:26:31.050 of Margaret Sanger. 00:26:31.340 --> 00:26:33.460 And do you know the basis of Margaret Sanger's life? 00:26:33.460 --> 00:26:39.360 And desiring to do that was racism. 00:26:39.360 --> 00:26:39.800 Go look it up. 00:26:40.540 --> 00:26:41.040 Margaret Sanger. 00:26:42.620 --> 00:26:42.920 Absolutely. 00:26:42.920 --> 00:26:43.900 100% racist. 00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:47.220 And her desire was to wipe off a particular people of people. 00:26:47.400 --> 00:26:47.760 Group from this world. 00:26:53.940 --> 00:26:54.860 Rather than embrace that. 00:27:00.560 --> 00:27:01.480 Rather than embrace that. 00:27:02.820 --> 00:27:04.090 I love what the Apostle Paul says. 00:27:05.720 --> 00:27:06.180 The gospel. 00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:11.810 It's for the sake of his name among all the nations. 00:27:14.800 --> 00:27:22.420 There's one race, the human race, and God is a beautiful God, creating multiple ethnic groups of 00:27:22.420 --> 00:27:23.500 every tribe. 00:27:23.600 --> 00:27:28.650 Tongue and language and God's heart desire is to give his life that. 00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:33.620 People group of all races could come to know him and praise him for all. 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:34.440 Of eternity. 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:39.920 A multi ethnic church. 00:27:41.600 --> 00:27:43.400 His heart to the ends of the world. 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:47.800 And it's under that scope that Nepal begins to share his heart. 00:27:47.840 --> 00:27:49.150 And I want to read through this very quickly. 00:27:49.320 --> 00:27:53.160 But you see Paul's heart for his people, he says. 00:27:53.180 --> 00:27:54.580 Including you who are called to. 00:27:54.580 --> 00:27:55.390 Belong to Jesus. 00:27:55.600 --> 00:28:02.700 This is not exclusive from you, but this is in including of you church and Rome, to all those in 00:28:02.700 --> 00:28:06.810 Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints. 00:28:09.540 --> 00:28:11.480 Douglas Willard at the end of his life, he. 00:28:12.180 --> 00:28:15.820 He's a famous theologian in American church history. 00:28:15.900 --> 00:28:18.520 In fact, he died in 2013. 00:28:18.520 --> 00:28:20.320 Many people compared his life to C.S. 00:28:20.320 --> 00:28:20.660 Lewis. 00:28:20.700 --> 00:28:24.020 They say the Dallas Willard is like the American C.S. 00:28:24.060 --> 00:28:24.260 Lewis. 00:28:24.260 --> 00:28:30.420 But he said this at the end of his life The only kind of love that helps the brain learn better character is attachment love. 00:28:31.360 --> 00:28:37.060 The brain functions that determine our character are most profoundly shaped by who we love. 00:28:39.780 --> 00:28:41.420 What you love will determine what you become. 00:28:43.340 --> 00:28:46.750 And in this verse, Paul is saying, Look, Church of Rome. 00:28:47.020 --> 00:28:48.160 I want you to understand who. 00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:50.640 You are and God, you are loved by God. 00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:54.740 If you really want your life to be changed by the Lord, explore the depths. 00:28:54.740 --> 00:28:57.960 Of his love and cling to that with all of your heart. 00:28:58.200 --> 00:29:02.780 And he says in that you have this identity as a Saints called Holy Separated. 00:29:02.900 --> 00:29:04.200 This, the word of. 00:29:04.200 --> 00:29:04.840 Saint means. 00:29:04.840 --> 00:29:08.180 Is this separation of holiness to your identity in the Lord. 00:29:08.300 --> 00:29:15.440 And He goes on in verse eight and he says, First, I think, my God, through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:22.440 world, it's as if to say there are to begin to grasping that identity, and they're sharing it with the world, because our tendency as human beings is the things 00:29:22.440 --> 00:29:29.640 that we truly love, we tell others about, and they're doing that in verse eight and verse nine for God is my witness, whom I serve with my Spirit in 00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:33.420 the Gospel of His Son, that without ceasing, I mentioned you always in my. 00:29:33.500 --> 00:29:34.660 Prayers, asking that. 00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:37.040 Somehow, by God's will, I may now know. 00:29:37.780 --> 00:29:43.040 At last succeed in coming to you. 00:29:45.460 --> 00:29:48.650 Paul's heart to now be with the church. 00:29:50.800 --> 00:29:51.580 To invest in them. 00:29:53.500 --> 00:30:00.920 To let them go deeper in their walk with God and their identity in him and knowing that he can't get there. 00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:08.400 He, at the very least wants to write this letter to encourage them in exploring their faith and knowing God more. 00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:11.630 And he goes on in verse 11, He says, For I long to see you, that I may impart. 00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:14.980 To you some spiritual gift to strengthen you. 00:30:15.500 --> 00:30:19.580 People look at this and think like Paul is referring to some kind of spiritual magic here. 00:30:19.940 --> 00:30:24.540 He wants to show up and impart some spiritual gift, like it's voodoo Christianity appearing. 00:30:24.540 --> 00:30:28.840 But verse 12 goes on to explain what spiritual what spiritual gift really looks like. 00:30:28.840 --> 00:30:33.040 He goes, That is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both. 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:34.180 Yours and mine. 00:30:35.620 --> 00:30:37.900 So he got his gift to you with certain things in this world. 00:30:38.180 --> 00:30:43.160 And when you use it for his glory to the benefit of others, that becomes a spiritual gift. 00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:49.820 You're gifting people spiritually for the honor of the Lord to the blessing of people. 00:30:49.820 --> 00:30:50.630 That's a true servant. 00:30:50.860 --> 00:30:57.940 Hood And Paul is saying within his life he desires to do the same thing, impart these spiritual gifts, which is really about mutually 00:30:57.940 --> 00:31:04.360 encouraging one another, and what God has gifted us to bless one another with what God is doing in our lives. 00:31:05.540 --> 00:31:06.780 And then verse 13, he says. 00:31:08.020 --> 00:31:08.120 For. 00:31:08.120 --> 00:31:09.760 I do not want you to be unaware of brothers. 00:31:11.300 --> 00:31:15.710 That I have often intended to come to you, but thus far have been prevented. 00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:19.740 In order that I may reap some harvest among you. 00:31:20.120 --> 00:31:22.750 As well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 00:31:23.800 --> 00:31:27.460 And then he goes on, and this is how we know Scripture is relevant for everyone. 00:31:27.700 --> 00:31:34.700 In verse 14, he says, I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, which is obviously Raiders fans, both to the wise and to 00:31:34.700 --> 00:31:36.780 the foolish, which are Lakers fans, right? 00:31:36.780 --> 00:31:39.440 Scripture is relevant for everyone at all times in all places. 00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:41.140 I'm kidding, right? 00:31:41.700 --> 00:31:44.840 The foolish is obviously not Lakers fans, but barbarians are Raiders fans. 00:31:44.860 --> 00:31:45.300 All right. 00:31:45.600 --> 00:31:52.780 So what Paul is saying really in the context, what it means is there are the Greeks that 00:31:52.780 --> 00:31:59.820 have been educated and cultured in the Greek system, but then there are those that Rome has now and conquered and including into the 00:31:59.820 --> 00:32:02.920 Roman civilization that have not been raised in that culture. 00:32:03.260 --> 00:32:09.520 And so they looked at it by the people as barbarians, or the ESV actually translates it as the uncultured right. 00:32:09.600 --> 00:32:14.010 There's something unique about them both to the wise and to the foolish or the unlearned. 00:32:14.360 --> 00:32:16.540 So Paul is saying it doesn't matter. 00:32:16.840 --> 00:32:18.840 It doesn't matter who you are or where you've come from. 00:32:20.780 --> 00:32:22.040 Jesus is heart. 00:32:23.820 --> 00:32:24.740 In my calling. 00:32:26.560 --> 00:32:31.680 Is to share the goodness of Christ that you would have opportunity to know him. 00:32:35.180 --> 00:32:41.820 Then Paul gets to the recognition of really the theme of Romans, the focus of why he's doing what he's doing. 00:32:41.820 --> 00:32:44.660 And in verse 15, here it is, verse 15, 16 and 17. 00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:52.760 If you if you could just carry verse 1678, even in your if you if you grabbed one of the books this morning on the book of Romans, just circle this 00:32:52.760 --> 00:32:54.990 or remind yourself of this passage. 00:32:55.260 --> 00:32:56.920 This is the theme of. 00:32:56.920 --> 00:32:57.860 Romans Right. 00:32:57.940 --> 00:32:59.700 And Paul says it like this, verse 15. 00:33:01.160 --> 00:33:07.940 So I'm eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 00:33:10.380 --> 00:33:12.280 Paul's desires to preach the gospel. 00:33:13.480 --> 00:33:18.940 The gospel literally means in English it translates as the good spell, but it's defined as good news. 00:33:20.080 --> 00:33:26.800 And I know oftentimes when we talk about good news, I said this in the very beginning, Romans wrote All our all of us have sinned, right? 00:33:27.300 --> 00:33:29.020 Romans 323 and 623. 00:33:29.040 --> 00:33:31.340 The wages of sin in 623 is death. 00:33:31.340 --> 00:33:33.000 Romans 323 All of us have sinned. 00:33:33.600 --> 00:33:35.120 I want you to know that is not the gospel. 00:33:36.520 --> 00:33:42.120 But in order to see your need for good news, it's important to see how lost we are. 00:33:42.120 --> 00:33:42.520 Right? 00:33:42.580 --> 00:33:46.490 The bad news that gets our heart to long for the good news. 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:48.120 The Gospel is the good news. 00:33:48.140 --> 00:33:53.580 And the good news is that God has pursued you, that God hasn't given up on you, that God already knows all the sinfulness of your heart. 00:33:53.660 --> 00:33:55.280 But He loves you anyway, and he gave his life for you. 00:33:57.380 --> 00:33:58.420 To transform you. 00:33:59.940 --> 00:34:06.020 The call you was own and let you belong to him in a relationship both now and for all of eternity. 00:34:06.820 --> 00:34:08.030 That is good news. 00:34:08.560 --> 00:34:10.139 And friends, can I tell you right now in this world. 00:34:10.540 --> 00:34:12.179 I am so sick of bad news. 00:34:13.219 --> 00:34:16.340 You walk out this door and that it seems like that's all there is. 00:34:16.620 --> 00:34:23.659 But in this room, in these moments, what we have in our hearts to reflect on the goodness of Christ and belonging to Him is that our identity is not in this world. 00:34:25.900 --> 00:34:26.400 And that. 00:34:27.900 --> 00:34:28.510 That is good. 00:34:28.600 --> 00:34:28.900 News. 00:34:28.900 --> 00:34:36.060 And here's what's interesting about this story is that Paul, when he's writing this letter, he's writing this letter to Christians, meaning he's not saying 00:34:36.060 --> 00:34:43.280 that the gospel is just simply for those that don't belong to Christ to learn about the gospel so they can belong to Jesus, to get saved and get out of hell, That's not 00:34:43.280 --> 00:34:43.909 the point of the gospel. 00:34:44.100 --> 00:34:51.400 To the point of the gospel is not only to find yourself as a sinner in Jesus, but to understand how the gospel shapes your life every day 00:34:51.400 --> 00:34:52.040 in Him. 00:34:53.980 --> 00:35:00.470 The Gospels are relevant to you right now as a believer in Christ as it was to you the moment you first put your faith in Jesus. 00:35:02.420 --> 00:35:07.480 This continues to be where you find your identity, your purpose, your meaning, your value. 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:10.180 And so he goes on and says this in verse 16 for I am not. 00:35:10.280 --> 00:35:10.920 Ashamed of the Gospel. 00:35:12.620 --> 00:35:16.820 For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:17.180 For in it. 00:35:17.180 --> 00:35:18.900 The righteousness of God is revealed. 00:35:19.020 --> 00:35:21.280 From faith to faith as it is written. 00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:25.900 The righteous, righteous shall live by faith. 00:35:28.020 --> 00:35:28.740 Paul says it like this. 00:35:28.780 --> 00:35:29.620 Let me just break it down. 00:35:29.680 --> 00:35:31.740 He is he is not ashamed of the gospel. 00:35:33.340 --> 00:35:33.600 And let. 00:35:33.740 --> 00:35:35.230 Me just remind you, when you follow. 00:35:35.420 --> 00:35:37.620 Christ, you will be shamed. 00:35:39.300 --> 00:35:41.620 People will shame you because of your faith in Christ. 00:35:42.420 --> 00:35:49.560 Like somewhere in Utah right now, there's probably some hippie and some hot spring drinking kabuki talking about their magic crystals 00:35:49.560 --> 00:35:52.980 and maligning you and your faith in Jesus as if it's unreasonable, right? 00:35:53.880 --> 00:35:54.310 It's a Sunday. 00:35:54.500 --> 00:35:55.160 Of course it happens. 00:35:55.160 --> 00:35:56.680 People like to say the worship in nature. 00:36:00.600 --> 00:36:01.640 People will try to shame you. 00:36:02.980 --> 00:36:05.080 It's what they did to Jesus. 00:36:06.980 --> 00:36:07.560 Shame. 00:36:07.680 --> 00:36:12.760 You attack, you, malign, you, torture you, and if that doesn't work, kill you. 00:36:14.900 --> 00:36:15.710 But let me remind you. 00:36:17.540 --> 00:36:18.180 You have no. 00:36:18.180 --> 00:36:19.180 Reason to be ashamed. 00:36:21.080 --> 00:36:24.700 And while people may shame you have no reason to be ashamed is because. 00:36:25.620 --> 00:36:26.540 Jesus will never disappoint. 00:36:29.540 --> 00:36:30.360 He will not let you down. 00:36:32.600 --> 00:36:32.980 And it's on. 00:36:33.180 --> 00:36:34.680 The basis of that in the poll. 00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:38.840 It goes on to say that I am so eager to preach the gospel. 00:36:38.840 --> 00:36:40.580 He says, verse 16 I'm not ashamed of the gospel. 00:36:40.580 --> 00:36:43.060 It is the power of God for salvation. 00:36:43.100 --> 00:36:50.120 This word power is literally the dynamite of God for salvation, Meaning when you look at the brokenness of the world and you feel like it's your job to save it, 00:36:50.180 --> 00:36:54.840 he's saying it's not, but there is a savior and he has the dynamite power to do something about it. 00:36:54.960 --> 00:37:00.920 This world absolutely needs rescued and the power of that message is not found in who you are, but in who he is. 00:37:01.240 --> 00:37:06.420 I am not ashamed, even though people may shame me because I know where my strength lies. 00:37:06.440 --> 00:37:07.500 And it's not in me. 00:37:07.500 --> 00:37:09.620 It's in him and by his power. 00:37:12.920 --> 00:37:16.880 Salvation to everyone that believes. 00:37:18.660 --> 00:37:25.960 This is not just anyone, but for those that put their faith trust in Christ, both Jew and Gentile notice in this passage, 00:37:25.960 --> 00:37:33.100 he is he is uniting that at the end of verse, verse 16 is not this separate distinction, but one people group, one race that God desires 00:37:33.100 --> 00:37:40.520 to bring together in this message to find the power of His gospel made known in our lives. 00:37:42.200 --> 00:37:43.140 And then he ends it this. 00:37:45.040 --> 00:37:47.200 What God has revealed from faith to faith meaning. 00:37:48.480 --> 00:37:49.000 From faith. 00:37:49.060 --> 00:37:49.500 For faith. 00:37:49.500 --> 00:37:51.540 What he's saying is, as you walk in this. 00:37:52.660 --> 00:37:59.800 Your faith continues to grow in him from faith for faith and continues to blossom as it is written. 00:38:00.120 --> 00:38:04.260 The righteous shall live by faith. 00:38:06.620 --> 00:38:08.120 Those that are declared right by God. 00:38:09.860 --> 00:38:10.460 Live by faith. 00:38:12.160 --> 00:38:14.380 And for Paul to make this statement. 00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:16.700 Knowing who he was before. 00:38:18.500 --> 00:38:20.380 It's completely profound to who he is now. 00:38:22.200 --> 00:38:24.800 Because what Paul had before was religion. 00:38:27.340 --> 00:38:32.320 But what Paul understands now is this phrase is an invitation to relationship. 00:38:34.180 --> 00:38:38.240 And this phrase not only transformed him, it began to transform the world. 00:38:38.700 --> 00:38:40.500 The righteous shall live by faith. 00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:46.210 In fact, I shared in the beginning this man by the name of Martin Luther. 00:38:47.480 --> 00:38:48.850 Martin Luther wrestled. 00:38:50.260 --> 00:38:51.240 With that phrase. 00:38:52.460 --> 00:38:54.180 Martin Luther was a very religious person. 00:38:54.240 --> 00:38:55.100 In fact, he was a lawyer. 00:38:55.860 --> 00:39:00.220 And one day he was caught in an a lightning storm and a lightning bolt nearly struck him and killed him. 00:39:00.360 --> 00:39:04.060 And he vowed to God, God, if you spare me, I'll just follow you all of my days. 00:39:04.100 --> 00:39:07.480 And he became a monk and he studied scripture and he started teaching scripture. 00:39:07.480 --> 00:39:08.560 He was a very devout monk. 00:39:08.560 --> 00:39:10.100 In fact, he was so devout. 00:39:10.100 --> 00:39:12.650 Some people said that Martin Luther was starting to go insane. 00:39:13.060 --> 00:39:20.020 He would go to his room and they said, you could hear him talking out loud for hours wrestling because Martin Luther was honest with the text of scripture. 00:39:20.240 --> 00:39:26.680 He would go through as a lawyer and read it and saw as he tried to perform religiously before God defined himself acceptable to God. 00:39:26.760 --> 00:39:33.740 No matter how hard he tried, He found that he was still a sinful man and he could not make himself perfect, and it drove him literally mad. 00:39:35.500 --> 00:39:35.960 But then Martin. 00:39:35.960 --> 00:39:36.800 Luther said this. 00:39:38.140 --> 00:39:40.400 I greatly longed to understand Paul's epistle. 00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:42.420 This is 500 year old text here. 00:39:42.420 --> 00:39:49.440 I greatly longed to understand Paul's epistle to the Romans, and nothing stood in the way but that one expression, the justice of God. 00:39:50.900 --> 00:39:57.100 Because I took it to mean that just a swear by God is just and deals justly in punishing the unjust. 00:39:57.920 --> 00:40:05.060 My situation was that although an impeccable monk, I stood before God as a centered, troubled in conscience, and I had no 00:40:05.060 --> 00:40:08.800 confidence that my marriage or my merit would have sway him. 00:40:09.760 --> 00:40:14.280 Therefore, I did not love a just an angry God, but rather I hated and murmured against him. 00:40:14.340 --> 00:40:19.420 Yet I clung to the dear Paul and had a great yearning to know what he meant. 00:40:21.760 --> 00:40:22.480 Night and a day. 00:40:22.520 --> 00:40:29.580 I pondered until I saw the connection between the Justice of God and the statement that just shall live by faith. 00:40:29.780 --> 00:40:37.040 Then I grasped that justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy, God justifies us through 00:40:37.140 --> 00:40:38.020 faith. 00:40:38.020 --> 00:40:38.180 There. 00:40:38.200 --> 00:40:43.780 Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through Open door into Paradise. 00:40:43.820 --> 00:40:46.460 The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning. 00:40:46.500 --> 00:40:50.540 And whereas before the Justice of God had filled me with hate. 00:40:50.800 --> 00:40:55.000 Now it became to me inexpressible, sweeter and greater love. 00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:59.680 This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven. 00:41:01.260 --> 00:41:05.180 The righteousness shall live by faith. 00:41:09.040 --> 00:41:11.220 It's not my power that rescues me. 00:41:13.460 --> 00:41:15.520 It's not my performance that changes me. 00:41:17.740 --> 00:41:18.620 That's Jesus's. 00:41:20.500 --> 00:41:21.160 That's Jesus's. 00:41:23.340 --> 00:41:24.420 And he's called me. 00:41:25.420 --> 00:41:26.180 To belong to him. 00:41:28.260 --> 00:41:29.440 A servant of Christ. 00:41:30.680 --> 00:41:34.690 That all the world may know the goodness of who he is.